The Impact of Dynamic Real-Time Feedback on Patient Satisfaction Scores

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience
• Communication in Medicine

Background:

• Provider communication significantly influences patient satisfaction, which correlates with healthcare outcomes.
• Patient satisfaction in hospitals is measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey.
• Effective communication strategies are crucial for enhancing the patient experience and improving hospital performance metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of dynamic, real-time feedback on provider communication skills.
• To assess the effect of performance feedback on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores.
• To determine if peer comparison and benchmarks influence provider communication effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A randomized study involving 26 hospitalists across 12 medicine teams at a tertiary care center.
• 1110 patients were surveyed over 7 months on provider communication using HCAHPS questions.
• The intervention group received daily emails with performance feedback, peer comparison, and Medicare benchmarks.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed a statistically significant increase in "always" responses for provider communication HCAHPS questions (86% vs. 80.5%).
• No significant baseline differences in HCAHPS scores or clinical experience were observed between groups.
• HCAHPS scores were lower in house-staff teams and higher in teams with advanced practice providers (APPs).

Conclusions:

• Real-time patient feedback, delivered via email with peer comparison, positively impacts provider-specific HCAHPS scores.
• Dynamic feedback mechanisms can be an effective tool for improving inpatient provider communication.
• Targeted interventions can enhance patient satisfaction and associated healthcare outcomes.